Gifford Park’s Pride · Community Garden/Youth Garden Chris Foster 402-290-8187 Adventure...
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June 2016 A Publication of the Gifford Park Neighborhood Association Gifford Park’s Pride Gifford Park Neighborhood: A Great Place to Live, Work, Learn, and Play www.giffordparkomaha.org Neighborhood Projects Update By: Chris Foster By now you have probably heard the exciting news about the Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) building and property being sold to NuStyle Development. As part of the sale Creighton has accepted a letter of intent from Omaha Public Schools (OPS) to buy nearly 4 acres of parking lot property near 32nd & Webster to build our new neighborhood elementary school. OPS officials said OPS and Creighton are in negotiations, once the two entities agree on final terms, a contract would be presented to the OPS board for its approval. OPS expects board action on that contract within a few months. OPS says based on the contract negotiations with Creighton and successes at Yates Community Center (at 32nd & Davenport), OPS does not anticipate changes to the community center. On behalf of the Gifford Park Neighborhood Association (GPNA) and our Gifford Park Neighborhood School/Save Yates Community Center effort, we want say how excited we are to hear the announcement and the plans for the CUMC Hospital property and OPS letter of intent to buy Creighton property for our new school. We look forward to working with everyone on next steps to make these projects successful for everyone involved for many years to come. We also know there is much hard work and hurdles ahead with these projects, but the opportunities for Creighton, OPS, NuStyle Development, Gifford Park & surrounding neighborhoods, and the City of Omaha are tremendous! We appreciate the efforts of all involved stakeholders to work out the details of land acquisitions and initial development ideas, especially in urban areas like Gifford Park where issues are complex. Our neighborhoods are very passionate about being involved and providing valuable input as we move forward hitting the ground running. Moving forward this summer, our neighborhood residents will have opportunities to be engaged in hearing about and providing input for NuStyle’s development design plans for the CUMC Hospital property. The GPNA and NuStyle has been in communication since the announcement and we will announce meeting information once established. Our neighborhood appreciates NuStyle ‘s effort to engage our neighborhood for our involvement and ideas. Regarding design plans for our school, our neighborhood leadership and community members (Gifford Park, Joslyn Castle, Bemis Park neighborhoods) are looking forward to providing input on plans. We expect to partner with OPS to plan and design the best school possible from all angles – physical design (building footprint and urban design & architecture to fit in with our neighborhood); safety; walk/bicycle routes; car/bus/ transportation traffic routes & parking; curriculum/ programming (i.e. magnet for dual language, Next General Meeting Thursday, August 11th; 7:00PM Presenter: TBD CHI Health-Creighton University Medical Center Morrison Seminar Room continued on next page
Transcript of Gifford Park’s Pride · Community Garden/Youth Garden Chris Foster 402-290-8187 Adventure...
June 2016 A Publication of the Gifford Park Neighborhood Association
Gifford Park’s PrideGifford Park Neighborhood: A Great Place to Live, Work, Learn, and Play
www.giffordparkomaha.org
Neighborhood Projects UpdateBy: Chris Foster
By now you have probably heard the exciting news about the Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) building and property being sold to NuStyle Development. As part of the sale Creighton has accepted a letter of intent from Omaha Public Schools (OPS) to buy nearly 4 acres of parking lot property near 32nd & Webster to build our new neighborhood elementary school. OPS officials said OPS and Creighton are in negotiations, once the two entities agree on final terms, a contract would be presented to the OPS board for its approval. OPS expects board action on that contract within a few months. OPS says based on the contract negotiations with Creighton and successes at Yates Community Center (at 32nd & Davenport), OPS does not anticipate changes to the community center. On behalf of the Gifford Park Neighborhood Association (GPNA) and our Gifford Park Neighborhood School/Save Yates Community Center effort, we want say how excited we are to hear the announcement and the plans for the CUMC Hospital property and OPS letter of intent to buy Creighton property for our new school. We look forward to working with everyone on next steps to make these projects successful for everyone involved for many years to come.We also know there is much hard work and hurdles ahead with these projects, but the opportunities for Creighton, OPS, NuStyle Development, Gifford Park & surrounding neighborhoods, and the City of Omaha are tremendous! We appreciate the efforts of all involved stakeholders to work out the details of land acquisitions and initial development ideas, especially in urban areas like Gifford Park where
issues are complex. Our neighborhoods are very passionate about being involved and providing valuable input as we move forward hitting the ground running. Moving forward this summer, our neighborhood residents will have opportunities to be engaged in hearing about and providing input for NuStyle’s development design plans for the CUMC Hospital property. The GPNA and NuStyle has been in communication since the announcement and we will announce meeting information once established. Our neighborhood appreciates NuStyle ‘s effort to engage our neighborhood for our involvement and ideas. Regarding design plans for our school, our neighborhood leadership and community members (Gifford Park, Joslyn Castle, Bemis Park neighborhoods) are looking forward to providing input on plans. We expect to partner with OPS to plan and design the best school possible from all angles – physical design (building footprint and urban design & architecture to fit in with our neighborhood); safety; walk/bicycle routes; car/bus/transportation traffic routes & parking; curriculum/programming (i.e. magnet for dual language,
Next General MeetingThursday, August 11th; 7:00PM
Presenter: TBD
CHI Health-Creighton UniversityMedical Center
Morrison Seminar Room
continued on next page
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2016 GPNA Officers
Marie Hélène André, President402-769-9183 | [email protected] Purcell, Vice President 402-719-5108 | [email protected] Perry, Secretary207-590-9880 | [email protected] Goswami, Treasurer 847-477-2156 | [email protected]
BoardJason Feldman, At-Large 402-429-7646 | [email protected] Wessel, At-Large 402-916-5030 | [email protected] Mitchell, At-Large 402-309-0777 | [email protected] Larson, At-Large 402-616-9350 | [email protected] Janousek, Business Rep 402-558-4070 | [email protected] Foster, Landlord Rep 402-290-8187 | [email protected]
Opportunities – ContactsGPNA General Meetings Marie Hélène André 402-769-9183Community Bike Project Charles Mitchell 402-309-0777Community Garden/Youth Garden Chris Foster 402-290-8187Adventure Playground Teal Gardner 402-875-1896 [email protected] Market Garden Cynthia Shuck [email protected] Park Market Martin Janousek 402-558-4070Yates Community Center Susan Mayberger [email protected] Soccer Eric Purcell 402-719-5108Youth Tennis Chris Foster 402-290-8187Spring Cleanup Luther Larson 402-616-9350
Editor’s note: If you have news of interest to the Gifford Park Neighborhood, we encourage you to submit an article for the monthly newsletter. Editorials are subject to approval by the GPNA Executive Board. Please include your contact information. Articles may be submitted by email to [email protected].
Youth Garden UpdateBy: Chris Foster The first four weeks of the Gifford Park Youth Garden (GPYG) program has seen lots of activities including children getting familiar with the garden, learning about seeds & plants and how to plan what to plant in their plots, and actually preparing the soil and planting their plots. The program is each Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:30am through August 27th (except NO session July 2). Below you will find the remaining schedule. This free program teaches youth of all ages how to grow our vegetables, prepare, eat, and share our harvest with others. Many thanks to the parents and wonderful volunteers who make this program work! Please contact Chris Foster (402-290-8187 or [email protected]) or Mike Caban (402-341-4722, [email protected]) if you have any questions about GPYG program. Gifford Park Youth Garden Program2016 Schedule ~ all Saturdays 10:00 – 11:30am June 11 Nebraska Watershed & Water QualityJune 18 Surprise!June 25 Art in the Garden IJuly 2 Fourth of July (*no program)July 9 Herbs & Health RemediesJuly 16 Garden MovementJuly 23 Art in the Garden IIJuly 30 Canning & PreservationAugust 6 Cooking MattersAugust 13 Sound of MusicAugust 20 Making Bread & ButterAugust 27 Pizza Garden Harvest PARTY! (Big Muddy Farm)Rest of growing season - tend your plot
Neighborhood Projects Updatecontinued from page 1
STEM, STEAM, agriculture, economics, other magnet focus?); student assignment plan for the new school attendance boundaries; PTA/PTO; principal selection; state of the art technology & properly resources; etc. Obviously the capacity/size of our new school will be affected by curriculum/programming and student assignment plans. We will inform everyone as soon as we know of opportunities to provide community input – stay tuned! Current OPS planned schedule for new Gifford Park neighborhood elementary school is:Jan. 2017-Sept. 2017 – building designOct. 2017-Dec. 2017 – construction procurementJan. 2018-July 2019 – constructionAug. 2019 – move in
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Youth Soccer ProgramBy Eric Purcell
Year five of the Gifford Park Soccer Camp is off to a decidedly BRISK start!! Our first week kicked off with a bang as FORTY 3-11 year olds and TWENTY coaches took to the field, with parents cheering them on and watching from the sidelines. Our second week of camp saw FIFTY-FOUR youth and 16 coaches—a new Gifford Park Soccer Camp record! And we’re just getting started!! We have painted five small soccer fields onto every piece of grass we can find around the Tennis Courts and next to the big soccer field in Gifford Park and with all of those kids and parents buzzing about, it is quite the site to behold! If you get a chance, come on down and check it out. Better yet, if you know any would be 3-11 year old soccer players, bring them out for a fun night of soccer, friends and, of course, SNACKS!! Soccer Camp runs every Wednesday night from 6:30-7:30 from June 1-July 13.
Big Muddy Urban Farm UpdateBy Brent Lubbert
Over the past four years, this neighborhood has supported our endeavours in growing a great deal of crops and farmers. Under direct pounding of summer rays, through the maddening rush of planting before heavy rains, to the ceaseless cycling of planting seeds to their fruiting and harvests taken to market, you have been there with us. We were never alone and we have tremendous gratitude for all the encouragement and support over these past five years.
You may notice that some of the plots this year are growing lots of things, not many of which are vegetables. This does not mean we have vacated the land. In contrast, there is a lot of activity going on now, especially if you think about it from a microbiological level. We are allowing the soil to take a rest from all of our taking and taking by giving it a healthy dose of cover crops. These crops are planted for soil fertility, rebuilding organic matter and to discourage weeds from moving in.
This cover crop idea can also be adapted to the organizational side of the farm. This year as we work with nature to bring the health of our soils, we are taking the time, organizationally, to plant for the fertility of the organization, to rebuild the matter of what matters to our organization and to discourage any bad movements going forward. In a real sense, this means we are working with dedicated focus on a residency program that will house 5 aspiring farmers to develop their own understanding of sustainable agriculture management and a taste of business creation. The other premise, which is not of lesser value or ignored, is an education in neighborhood well-being. To go back to the sentiments made at the beginning of this article. A barn is not built by one person and an urban farm too, is not established by one single individual, but by a great many. For this and for what is to come, Thank You!
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Gifford Park Youth Garden Photos
Community Garden UpdateBy: Chris Foster Everyone is encouraged to check out the community garden including the chickens located in their coop on the upper-north part of the garden. Also check out the Adventure Playground on the west part of the garden. Wednesday work nights and will continue each Wednesday 6 to 8 PM through the growing season. During these times water and garden tools will be available for plot renters and anyone else interested in helping maintain the community garden – we always need weeding of the flower beds! It’s a good time to stop by the garden to see neighborhood friends or check out what’s growing. Contact Mike Caban (402-341-4722, [email protected]) for garden plot information, and Chris Foster (402-290-8187, [email protected]) for other questions.
Gifford Park Neighborhood Market Photos
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Find these vendors and more at the Gifford Park Neighborhood Market!contact: [email protected]
Special thanks to our sponsoring vendors:
33rd
and
California
We accept Cash, Credit, Debit + EBT
Like us on Facebook!
Sawdust Creations“You should see ... what I saw”
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Congratulations to director Teal Gardner and Adventure Playground volunteers for bringing home the ‘Neighborhood of the Year Physical Project’ 2nd place award from this year’s Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) conference in Memphis this past month. The vast amounts of creativity and energy that flow from Adventure Playground make the neighborhood a more joyful place to live. The award also came with a $250 dollar prize to go towards the program. NUSA highlighting Adventure Playground gives way for neighborhoods across the country to glean ideas of how this project might take shape in their neighborhood. Next year, Omaha will host this national conference, which includes neighborhood tours. I have a feeling people might be stopping by to see Adventure Playground. Congratulations!
Adventure Playground open hours are: Saturdays, 2-6pm at the community garden (35th and Cass St.) For more information contact Teal Gardner at [email protected] or 402-875-1896
Adventure Playground is Nationally Recognized at NUSA Conference
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Tennis Block Party 2016 Highlights By Chris Foster
We had great weather for our annual Tennis Block Party Wednesday May 18 in Gifford Park with about 55 youth participants and over a dozen volunteers. Our young players learned the basic tennis skills along with rally courts, and we finished up with four watermelon and other snacks for everyone. Two Omaha Police Officers provided some great advice and answered kid’s questions. Many thanks go to our dedicated tennis instructors and volunteers – Stanley girls (Dawn, Crystal, Justine, Witney), Jim Wilson, Buddy Hogan, Vince Emery, Laurie Bolte (and her nephew Tyler), Ari Manzo, Yusuf Abdi, Leif Bade, Jennessa Runia, Roger Freeman, Monica Lehn, Donnie Gildon, Mike Higgins, Paul Pellerito, Tyffaney Reichert, Kayleen Tran, Jenny Waltemath, Jackie Foster, Chris Foster, Jan Franks, Brittney Rubek, Betty Slayden. Thanks to Ric & Jane Hines for supplying equipment and always great support. And a couple more special thanks: the Omaha Tennis Association for many years of generous support; and the City Parks Department for maintaining the tennis courts and the park in general. We are offering to the older youth the opportunity to continue on playing tennis with several instructors each Wednesday (10:00am to Noon for ages 9 & over) June 8 – July 20 at Gifford Park. Anyone interested, please contact Chris at 402-290-8187 for a registration form, or you can show up at the Gifford Park tennis courts.
Gifford Park Neighborhood AssociationPO Box 31462Omaha, NE 68131
Place StampHere
Gifford Park Neighborhood AssociationMembership Application
The GPNA membership year runs from January 1 to December 31.
Type of membership: ____ Single ($10) ____ Family ($15) ____ Business ($25)Today’s Date: _________________________
Business Name (if applicable): ___________________________________Business Phone (if applicable): ___________________________________
Name (1): ______________________ Phone: __________________ Email: ____________________________Name (2): ______________________ Phone: __________________ Email: ____________________________ Name (3): ______________________ Phone: __________________ Email: ____________________________ Name (4): ______________________ Phone: __________________ Email: ____________________________ Name (5): ______________________ Phone: __________________ Email: ____________________________
Address: ______________________________________ City: ______________ State: _______ Zip: ________
Volunteer Opportunities! I’m interested in helping with...___ Call committee __ Holiday Banquet ___ Neighborhood Watch ___ Tennis___ Cleanup/Beautifi cation__ Landlord/Tenant Issues ___ Newsletter Distribution ___ Tool Lending___ Community Garden __ Memberships ___ School Liason ___ Tree Planting___ Easter Egg Hunt __ Neighborhood Market ___ School Activities ___ Youth Garden___ History __ Neighborhood Walks ___ Soccer
Return completed form along with check or money order to: Gifford Park Neighborhood Association, PO Box 31462, Omaha, NE 68131.
